CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC

The Contracting Parties, desiring to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety through the adoption of uniform traffic rules, have agreed upon the following provisions:

Chapter II

RULES OF THE ROAD

ARTICLE 23

Standing and parking

1. Outside built-up areas, standing or parked vehicles and halted animals shall so far as possible be stationed elsewhere than on the carriageway. In and outside built-up areas they shall not be stationed on cycle tracks, on pavements or on verges specially provided for pedestrian traffic, save where applicable domestic legislation so permits.

2. (a) Animals halted and vehicles standing or parked on the carriageway shall be kept as close as possible to the edge of the carriageway. A driver shall not stand or park his vehicle on a carriageway save on the side appropriate, for him, to the direction of traffic; nevertheless, standing or parking on the other side shall be permitted where standing or parking on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic is prevented by the presence of rail tracks. Moreover, Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof may:

(i) Refrain from prohibiting standing and parking on one side or the other in certain conditions, for instance where standing on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic is prohibited by road signs;

(ii) On one-way carriageways, authorize standing and parking on the other side as well as or instead of on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic;

(iii) Authorize standing and parking in the middle of the carriageway at places specially marked;

(b) Save where domestic legislation provides otherwise, vehicles other than two-wheeled cycles, two-wheeled mopeds and two-wheeled motor cycles without side-car shall not stand or be parked two abreast on the carriageway. Standing or parked vehicles shall, unless the layout of the area permits otherwise, be placed parallel to the edge of the carriageway.

3. (a) The standing or parking of a vehicle on the carriageway shall be prohibited:

(i) On pedestrian crossings, on crossings for cyclists, and on level-crossings;

(ii) On tramway or railway tracks on a road or so close to such tracks that the movement of trams or trains might be impeded, and also, subject to the possibility for Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof to provide otherwise, on pavements and cycle tracks;

(b) The standing or parking of a vehicle at any point where it would constitute a danger shall be prohibited, more particularly:

(i) Save in such spaces as may be specially marked, under flyovers and in tunnels;

(ii) On the carriageway, close to the crests of hills, and on bends where visibility is not sufficient for the vehicle to be overtaken in complete safety, having regard to the speed of vehicles on the section of the road in question;

(iii) On a carriageway beside a longitudinal road marking, where subparagraph (b) (ii) of this paragraph does not apply but the width of the carriageway between the marking and the vehicle is less than 3 m and the marking is such that vehicles approaching it on the same side are forbidden to cross it;

(iv) At any place where the vehicle would conceal road signs or traffic light signals from the view of road-users;

(v) On an additional lane indicated by a sign for slowly moving vehicles;

(c) The parking of a vehicle on the carriageway shall be prohibited:

(i) On approaches to level-crossings, to intersections and to bus, trolley-bus or rail-vehicle stops; within the distances prescribed by domestic legislation;

(ii) In front of vehicle entries to properties;

(iii) At any point where the parked vehicle would prevent access to another vehicle properly parked or prevent such other vehicle from moving out;

(iv) On the central carriageway of three-carriageway roads and, outside built-up areas, on the carriageways of roads marked as priority roads by appropriate signs.

4. A driver shall not leave his vehicle or his animals without having taken all suitable precautions to avoid any accident and, in the case of a motor vehicle, to prevent its unauthorized use.

5. It is recommended that domestic legislation should provide as follows: every power-driven vehicle other than a two-wheeled moped or a two-wheeled motor cycle without side-car, and every trailer coupled or uncoupled shall when stationary on the carriageway outside a built-up area be signalled to approaching drivers at a sufficient distance by means of at least one appropriate device placed at the most suitable point to give them adequate advance warning:

(a) If the vehicle is stationary at night on the carriageway in circumstances such that approaching drivers cannot be aware of the obstacle which the vehicle constitutes;

(b) If the driver, in other cases, has been compelled to halt his vehicle at a place where standing is prohibited.

6. Nothing in this Article shall be construed as preventing Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof from introducing other prohibitions on parking and standing.